Water balancing game

ABSTRACT

A game including a water-filled container, a round-bottom raft floating in the container and including a mast, a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;crow&#39;&#39;s nest&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; at the upper end of the mast containing a relatively movable marble, a plurality of different size playing pieces for positioning on the raft, and chance means for determining the placement of the playing pieces on the raft. When a player causes the raft to tip sufficiently to spill pieces into the water, he is penalized.

United States Patent lnventor Jeffrey D. Breslow Evanston, Ill. App]. No. 704,000 Filed Feb. 8, 1968 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 Assignee Marvin Glass & Associates Chicago, 111. a partnership WATER BALANCING GAME 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 273/ 1, 273/ 109 Int. Cl A63f 9/00 Field of Search 273/1, 135, 1.5;272/1(B) Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Att0rney.1ames F. Coffee ABSTRACT: A game including a water-filled container, a round-bottom raft floating in the container and including a mast, a crows nest" at the upper end of the mast containing a relatively movable marble, a plurality of different size playing pieces for positioning on the raft, and chance means for determining the placement of the playing pieces on the raft.

When a player causes the raft to tip sufficiently to spill pieces into the water, he is penalized.

WATER BALANCING GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The disclosed apparatus is for a game of the type in which skill and dexterity is required. More particularly.- the players are penalized by losing one or more of their playing pieces when their lack of skill in the placement of pieces causes the game apparatus to become unbalanced and spill the pieces already placed. Balancing games. of course. are known, but the present invention is believed to be particularly novel in relating such form of game to water and utilizing wateras the support for the game apparatus SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Game apparatus comprising a container having liquid therein, a raft adapted to float and move about within the liquid-filled container, a plurality of playing pieces of a size permitting the placement of a plurality of such pieces on said raft. and chance means for indicating the manner in which said playing pieces are to be placed on said raft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical axial cross section of a crows nest indicated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a chance device used with the game; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a set of playing pieces.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As seen in FIG. 1, the game comprises a game board in the form of a towel on which is placed a tank 12 containing a small body of water 14. Floating in the water 14 is a raft 16 preferably having a lower surface or bottom 18 in the shape of a segment of a sphere and a top surface or deck 20 which is flat. Such a body will float on the water with a degree of stability if made of light material or hollow. It is contemplated that the parts will be made of plastic, and that the raft 16 will be provided with a sufficient amount of ballast if its natural stability is not sufficient. A certain degree of instability is' an advantage, however, as will appear.

Deck 20 is provided with a central raised boss 22 of substantial size, and the deck is divided by a line 24 into two portions of contrasting colors, for example orange and white, on one or the other of which a player may be required by the chance device to place his playing piece. As will be apparent, if too many pieces are placed on the same side of line 24 raft 16 will tilt sufficiently for some or all of the playing pieces to be spilled of? into the water.

Each of the players is provided with a set of playing pieces, which are illustrated in the general form of a man 26, a woman 28, and two children and 32, with pieces being graduated in size and weight. Furthennore, all the pieces of any one kind in the several sets are of identical weight and form, so that each player will be faced with the same conditions as every other player when he has to place his pieces on the raft. However, the pieces of any one set are all of a single color, and the color of the pieces of any one set is different from the color of the pieces in any other set.

The play is directed by chance device comprising a dial 34 having pivotally mounted thereon a pointer 36 which may be spun by the players and which will come to rest over one or another of a series of legends 38 and 40. While it is contemplated that different instructions may be carried on dial 34 in accordance with the age range of the players for whom the game is furnished, in the present embodiment the legends refer to the colors of the two sections of deck 20 on opposite sides of line 24.

A mast 42 is provided projecting upwardly from the center of boss 22 and having a receptacle or crows nest 44 at the top the weight of which will render the raft somewhat less stable than it would otherwise be. Receptacle 44 has a depression 46 in the bottom wall 48 thereof, as seen in FIG. 2, in which is seated a weight for example a marble 50. As long as the marble remains in depression 46 it will have a predetermined minimum effect on the stability of raft 16, but if the latter tilts by reason of the placing of playing pieces thereon. sufficiently for marble 50 to become displaced from depression 46, it will shift to the low side of crow's nest 44 and add to the unbalancing effect of the uneven load.

In the operation of the device, tank I2 is filled with water and raft 16 set afloat therein marble 50 being centered in depression 46. The first player spins pointer 36 which indicates the side or color of the section of deck 20 on which he is to place a playing piece. He then may use his judgment as to the size and weight of the piece he will use and the exact location on deck 20 where he will place it. The next player, assuming pointer 36 indicates the same color, will choose a light piece and place it near line 24, and as far as possible from the first piece to maintain the balance as closely as possible. On the other hand, if the color indicated is opposite to that of the first player, he will place his piece as nearly as possible to balance the weight of the first piece so as to keep the raft on an even keel. As a result of the preponderance of one color legend on chance device dial 34, more playing pieces will ordinarily be placed on one side of deck 20, causing a degree of tilt which, when it becomes sufficient, will cause marble 50 to roll out of depression 46 with further unbalancing effect which will usually cause all the figures on the low side to spill off into the water. However, possibly some of the figures on the other side may be stopped by boss 22 from sliding entirely off of deck 20. In this event the reaction as raft 16 tends to right itself when relieved of part of its load will cause it to tilt momentarily in the other direction, particularly in view of the weight of the figures remaining on what previously was the high side. Marble 50 will then roll around crow's nest 44 to what has become the low side and add its unbalancing effect to make sure the remaining figures slide off of deck 20. Depression 46 is preferably shallow enough so that marble 50, if it happens to roll straight across crows nest 44 will, with the momentum acquired as it starts to roll, continue across the depression to what is then the low side of crows nest 44. The displacement of marble 50 will cause such a degree of tilting of raft 16 as to make virtually certain that the remaining figures will slide off of deck 20.

Various games can be made up to play with the disclosed apparatus, for example dial 34 might indicate what figure (man, woman or child) is to be used as well as on which side of the raft it is to be placed.

Although shown and described with respect to particular apparatus and form of play, it will be apparent that modifications might be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising a container having liquid therein, a raft in the shape of a segment of a sphere and adapted to float and move about within the liquid-filled container, a plurality of playing pieces of a size permitting the placement of a plurality of such pieces on said raft, means defining areas on the deck of said raft for placement of said pieces, chance means for indicating the area on deck in which said playing pieces are to be placed on said raft, a mast projecting upwardly from the center portion of said raft, a circular receptacle supported on the upper end of said mast, a ball carried by said receptacle, means in said receptacle for supporting said ball in a stationary position when said raft is horizontal, said latter means permitting rolling movement of the ball in said receptacle as said raft is inclined from a horizontal position. 

1. Game apparatus comprising a container having liquid therein, a raft in the shape of a segment of a sphere and adapted to float and move about within the liquid-filled container, a plurality of playing pieces of a size permitting the placement of a plurality of such pieces on said raft, means defining areas on the deck of said raft for placement of said pieces, chance means for indicating the area on deck in which said playing pieces are to be placed on said raft, a mast projecting upwardly from the center portion of said raft, a circular receptacle supported on the upper end of said mast, a ball carried by said receptacle, means in said receptacle for supporting said ball in a stationary position when said raft is horizontal, said latter means permitting rolling movement of the ball in said receptacle as said raft is inclined from a horizontal position. 